


how to avoid your feelings 101 by taichi nanao

by qyff



Series: A3! Rarepair Week 2020 [1]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Confessions, M/M, just talk to each other u clowns, these two are so stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qyff/pseuds/qyff
Summary: Him liking Tenma seemed normal. That it was just how the universe worked, an undisputed fact. But the idea of Taichi being liked back? That his feelings were returned? Now that was strange.Day 1: Adoration/Jealousy
Relationships: Nanao Taichi/Sumeragi Tenma
Series: A3! Rarepair Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829878
Comments: 13
Kudos: 72
Collections: A3! Rare Pairs Week 2020





	how to avoid your feelings 101 by taichi nanao

**Author's Note:**

> beta'd by [@vagorsol](https://twitter.com/vagorsol) !!!!! thank u for dealing w my writing it's v hard, i know, and i appreciate u so much qwq thank u for beta-ing, wonky tenses and all,

“I just don’t know what to do…” Taichi groans, rolling around as much as his loft bed enables him. “It’s just—It’s just complicated.” He smushes his face in his pillow, as if the attempt at suffocation would help him in any way.

“Are you going to reject him?” Omi calls out, working on some sort of project from his desk. “If you don’t like him, then there’s a pretty easy solution.”

No. Taichi could never reject Tenma. That’s impossible. How could he? Tenma is his idol, his role-model, his best friend, his long-time crush. 

With no answer from Taichi, Omi continues, “But if you do like him, and seeing how he’s made it clear he likes you back, then there shouldn’t be any problem at all.”

“But there is!” And it’s a horrible predicament he’s put himself in.

“And… what is it?”

“Well, I like him.” That was his indisputable fact.

“Uh huh.”

“But I don’t like the idea of him liking me back.”

“Oh, Taichi…” 

Even from up here, face completely blocked by his pillow, Taichi can feel Omi’s pitying gaze.

* * *

“Is the soda bad?”

“Huh?” The question startles Taichi out of his stupor almost spilling the drink in question. “Oh. No. It’s good! Really good.” He takes a long, loud sip, trying to prove his point. He has a sneaking suspicion that it doesn’t. “It’s great. Everything is great.” 

“Oh, okay.” Tenma turns, looking back out the window. 

They’re sitting in Igawa’s car—Tenma’s car, technically—and Taichi concludes, not for the first time and almost definitely not for the last time, that he really doesn’t have people skills. 

Their date had objectively gone well enough, no explosions or kidnappings or whatever happened to wealthy and influential kids in the movies, but it’s not as if he has anything to compare the experience to. All they did was walk around some expensive looking shopping center, Tenma pointing to something with a way too large price tag, and Taichi quickly refusing when asked if he wanted it. They spent so much of their date in an awkward silence, that Taichi isn’t even sure if it counts as a date anymore. It had felt much more like a  _ ‘Yeah, look at all these things you can’t afford _ ’ exhibit. 

It sucks. The distance between them feels so large, as if separated by an entire ocean and not just a single seat. 

Taichi glances to the side. Yeah, even when he is looking out a car window, Tenma is stupidly hot. He was also popular, rich, famous, an amazing actor, while Taichi was just that. Taichi. Himself. 

Tenma is everything that he isn’t, and for so long, Taichi resented him for that. It hadn’t seemed fair. How could Tenma be so successful, while Taichi was left in the dust? 

But look at him now. A stupid little kid with a stupid little crush. 

_ “There shouldn’t be any problem at all.” _

There are so many problems. And all of them are his fault. Tenma probably hates him now, if he didn’t already before. Tenma probably didn’t even mean that this is supposed to be a ‘date.’ Taichi had probably taken it all out of context, so eager to be loved that he clung onto the smallest hint that it was possible for him to be—

“We’re back.” Igawa stops the car. 

Taichi glances at Tenma, before unbuckling and running straight into the dorms.

He fights the urge to look back. He’s successful, for once. 

* * *

Taichi is once again smushed deep into the covers, listening to his  _ ‘sad boi hours’ _ playlist when he hears—or thinks he hears—a knock at the door. He pauses his music, listening. 

Another knock, followed by muffled arguing. 

“You can come in…?” He’s sure to regret it, as he can tell who’s come to see him, but he doesn’t want to risk Yuki’s wrath. 

“Deal with him yourself. I can’t stand your whining.” Tenma is suddenly shoved into the room, Yuki peering in. “If this isn’t resolved within the next half hour, I’m giving the both of you extra work.”

As much as he found stitching oddly soothing, it was different with Yuki glowering over him. 

“Hi Tenma.” 

“Hi Taichi.” 

They exist in silence, Taichi hiding in his bed, Tenma probably standing somewhere near the door. 

“We can go somewhere else next time,” Tenma starts, sounding unsure. “Maybe the arcade? Tsumugi and Banri also recommended a few cafe spots, if you’d like that.” 

“There’s going to be a next time?” Oops. He didn’t mean to say that out loud, and from the noise Tenma just made, it’s probably a bad thing that he did.

“I mean. If you want to just hang out. And not whatever… that was.”

“What… was it, then?”

“Huh?” 

Taichi gathers the courage to peer over the banister and look at his crush, seeing him fiddle with his shirt. Tenma doesn’t meet his eyes. “Was this supposed to be something?”

“Did you not think it—No, I mean, it didn’t have to be—It’s just—” Tenma’s bright red now, flushed at least down to his neck, the hem of his T-shirt bunched up in his fists. “It could be something, if you wanted it to be. Or not.” 

“... Tenma?”

“Yeah?”

“I like you a lot.” 

“...”

“A lot. Like, a lot—a lot. So much. It kind of hurts.” His heart is beating and it’s getting hard to breathe, but Taichi pushes on. “So if you want it to be something, and I want it to be something, then maybe it is… something.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Tenma walks over, slowly, to where he can look at Taichi right in the eyes. “I like you too. A lot.” 

They both start to laugh, a little soft and slow at first, but Taichi doesn’t mind. There’s still doubts, and he’s not sure if this is what he deserves, but he’s enjoying himself. Maybe it’s a bit selfish, but it feels nice to be liked back.

“The arcade sounds good. Let’s go there soon.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> it's still day 1 here, so technically i haven't missed any days,
> 
> is this adoration? is this jealousy? is this some weird mix of both? good questions! 
> 
> i have a lot of feelings about taiten please talk to me about them i just. *clenches fist* they're just so good. oh, to be able to have braincells while writing in order to give these boys the fic they deserve, 
> 
> ty for reading!!! :') please ship taiten


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